Reasons to Adopt a Pet Instead of Buying One

 Lauren Tennant, a resident of Georgia, splits her time between serving as a cognitive skills trainer at LearningRx and as the assistant manager at Duck Donuts. In addition to her professional roles, Lauren Tennant studies at Georgia State University and volunteers at the Cobb County Animal Shelter.

The Cobb County Animal Services unit has operated since 1971. Dedicated to the lives of local animals, it offers pet rescue and adoption services. Adoption addresses pet overpopulation, which results in millions of unwanted animals. In addition, it contributes to millions of pet euthanizations since shelters cannot care for them. Adoption gives homeless pets a chance to live in a loving home and saves them from euthanization.

In addition, pet adoption saves families money. Breeders charge hefty prices that climb into the thousands. Shelters charge a fraction of the cost, and some may waive or reduce adoption fees. Some shelters roll vaccine costs into the total fees, and some animals have prior training, reducing the amount that families and individuals will pay.

Lastly, some shelter animals are healthier than those bred in mills. Some mills keep animals in poor conditions and hide their medical issues. Shelters screen the health conditions of the animals so that they can receive the proper care before and after adoption.

Relationship between Collage Therapy and Mental Wellbeing

 Lauren Tennant is a mental health trainer based in Georgia and a cognitive skills trainer at LearningRx, a mental health institution in Georgia. As a brain trainer, Lauren Tennant has coached students to strengthen their cognitive performance. She is also interested in the arts and counts collaging among her favorite art forms.

Many believe that art is therapeutic. Likewise, collage therapy has become instrumental in ensuring people can achieve emotional and mental balance. Instead of drawing or painting, individuals paste paper cutouts to surfaces. It does not require art training or artistic skills.

Creating collages helps people relieve pent-up stress and allows them to relax. Consequently, collage therapy requires cutting, shaping, assembling, and gluing objects like paper, fabric, stones, and beads to create new images.

Moreover, collage creations might have special meanings for each individual. Impromptu collages might reflect their feelings when they find it difficult to express them verbally.

Reporting Suspected Abuse in Texas

 Based in Marietta, Georgia, Lauren Tennant is a customer service professional who serves as an assistant manager at Duck Donuts. She oversees managerial responsibilities, including training new employees, resolving employees’ concerns, and ensuring proper customer service. Georgia resident Lauren Tennant is also an advocate for abuse victims.

Individuals who believe a senior or a person is an abuse victim have several resources to report their suspicions. For example, the Texas Human and Health Services (HHS) staff operate a hotline and relay reports to the HHS Regulatory Services team. Then, the team takes steps to perform their investigation. The HHS keeps the information confidential, and the individual who reports it can remain anonymous unless state laws state otherwise.

Besides the HHS, the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) also handles suspected abuse reports. The DFPS protects children who are not HHS facility residents, beneficiaries of the Texas Home Living Program and Home and Community-based Services program, people who seek support from home health agencies, and individuals who suffer from intellectual and developmental disabilities.

The Importance of Supporting Your Local Animal Shelter

 

According to the Humane Society, there are an estimated 3,500 animal shelters in North America, along with approximately 10,000 rescue groups and animal sanctuaries. In the United States alone, animal rescue facilities and organizations provide shelter to 6.3 million companion animals, including 3.1 million dogs and 3.2 million cats.

The number of homeless pets that must be cared for poses a massive strain on animal shelters. According to the Mosby Foundation, just 10 percent of newborn dogs will go on to find a permanent home. This means that a staggering 90 percent of dogs are either given up by owners or taken to animal shelters by local animal control services. Due to overcrowding and lack of funding, animal shelters are forced to euthanize more than 900,000 dogs and cats each year.

There are a few positive statistics animal lovers can take solace in regarding animals in shelters. Between 2011 and 2021, the number of animals entering shelters annually decreased from 7.2 million to 6.3 million. The number of animals euthanized by shelters has fallen from 2.6 million to 920,000 over the same period. Shelters oversee more than four million adoptions every year and return roughly 810,000 lost pets to their pet parents.

Despite these improvements, shelters are limited in how much they can do for homeless and lost animals, primarily due to financial constraints. Local animal control agencies rely on government budgets for resources and personnel and any money raised through third-party support. That said, most animal shelters and rescues do not receive funding through municipal agreements. Adoption fees, meanwhile, barely cover the cost of animal care services, leaving little room for additional hiring or facility improvements.

Annual donations from community supporters represent the main income for the average animal shelter. Other sources of financing include special crowdfunding initiatives and fundraisers, grants, and gifts in kind made possible by groups and services like Hill’s Food Shelter and Love program.

Unfortunately, even the most vocal advocate for animal rights may be unable to contribute financially to their local shelter. Fortunately, individuals can support animal shelters and rescues in several ways beyond monetary contributions.

To start, shelters may accept other donations, including pet food, toys, food and water bowls, and equipment such as leashes and harnesses. Of course, individuals can also donate their time. Calling a local shelter and asking about volunteer opportunities is one of the most direct and rewarding means of aiding a favorite animal shelter. Volunteers may clean or wash animals or support the shelter with various administrative tasks.

Considering overpopulation is one of the major problems impacting animal shelters, individuals and families can consider adopting an animal. However, shelter supporters must know the long-term financial and time commitment associated with caring for an animal before adoption. If adoption is not possible, some shelter supporters may be more interested in fostering an animal until the shelter can find a permanent home.

Finally, individuals can help local shelters and rescues through promotions. Promotions may range from sharing information on social media to telling family members and friends about animals available for adoption.